A system for providing active real-time characterization of an article under test is disclosed. First, second and third RF radiation sources each outputs and directs a beam of RF radiation at a particular area on the article under test. An RF receiver and a second harmonic generation RF receiver, a sum frequency receiver, and a third order receiver are each configured to receive a respective predetermined return beam of RF radiation from the particular area on the article under test. A processor receives signals from the receivers and calculates in real time respective spectroscopic signals and compares each calculated signal with each other calculated signal and with a predetermined baseline signal to ensure that the article under test conforms to an expected value.